Dallas is not, historically, a great sandwich town. It has no signature Philly cheesesteak, no po'boy, no Chicago-style Italian beef.

A lot of the problem has been bread: Until recently, the bread situation in Dallas was not great, and you can't have a good sandwich without good bread. Happily, Dallas' bread scene has picked up in recent years (thanks in no small part to the raising of the bar by Empire Baking Co.), and so has the sandwich scene, too.

With that in mind, we've compiled a list of the definitive sandwiches of Dallas. Places come and go, sandwiches too, so this is an up-to-date list as of fall 2024.

The list has some old-time classics, along with newfangled newcomers — combining to give sandwich fans something to chew on. (Note: The majority of these are sandwich shops, not sandwiches served at "regular" restaurants.)

Here is our list of essential sandwiches in Dallas:

Banh Mi Sliders from Autonomous Society Brewpub
The main thrust at this Cedars District brewpub is European-inspired beers, but they also have a menu of snacks including five sandwiches. Their twist on a banh mi is banh mi sliders, featuring pork belly, pickled carrots, daikon, and sriracha mayo and served on — gasp — a toasted hamburger bun. Not authentic but definitely tasty. Two sliders are $12.

Banh mi sliders from Autonomous Pub.Instagram

BBQ Jackfruit from Community Beer
This Dallas brewery is sandwich heaven, with a dozen options including a Reuben and a brat sandwich. And here's a rare thing: At least three of the sandwiches are vegan including their BBQ jackfruit sandwich which uses shredded jackfruit as a stand-in for pulled pork, topped with BBQ sauce and slaw, and stuffed into a golden potato bun. You'll be mesmerized, whether you're vegan or not.

Chicken Caesar from Bread Zeppelin
Dallas chain has a one-of-a-kind approach to sandwiches: It takes a freshly baked baguette, hollows it out, and stuffs a salad inside. It's a portable salad on the go — one you can eat in the car, no fork, no muss. The standout is the chicken Caesar with bites of grilled chicken, croutons, Parmesan, and chopped Romaine. The bread is really good — crunchy but light, and absorbing the salad dressing ever so slightly. For only $10.

Chicken Salad from Empire Baking Co.
If sandwiches are about the bread (they are), then Empire is a must on any list. While the bakery is famous for its bread, half of its customers come in for its prepared foods. Of their nine sandwiches, the bestseller is smoked turkey on wheat with Muenster cheese and Granny Smith apple slices. But the foodie pick is chicken salad on walnut scallion bread — a simple chicken salad with slivered almonds and celery, but they marinate and roast the chicken every day. It's the little things.

Chicken Sandwich from Latin Deli
East Dallas deli with a Latin flair has a dozen sandwiches and you might be swayed by the Cubano but head for the chicken sandwich instead. It contains marinated chicken, onion, avocado, and jalapeño slices, served on ciabatta bread for $15.

Club Croissant from Great Outdoors
Sandwich chain across the DFW area has better-than-average bread which they bake on site, including croissant sandwich rolls, elongated like a sub bun — but buttery and soft. The favorite is the club croissant with turkey, ham, bacon, and cheddar, $11. To get it with lettuce, tomato, and mayo, you must ask for "dressing," it's their silly code.

Cubano from Bella Flan
Cuban bakery and cafe in Richardson does an amazing rendition of this classic pressed sandwich, using Cuban bread, Cuban mojo pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickle, and spicy mustard. It's all about the chopped pickle and mustard, which adds a sharp, craveable tang. There's also a vegetarian version with portobello mushroom and roasted pineapple, which adds another dimension: sweet — maybe even better than the original. Both are $12.

Chicken Caesar sandwich from Bread Zeppelin.Photo courtesy of Bread Zeppelin

Fruit Sando from Sandoitchi
Sandwich shop in downtown Dallas has various Japanese-style sandwiches — served on fluffy, stark-white milk bread, trimmed neatly — but the one with the buzz is the $10 fruit sando, combining sweet cream and precisely sliced fruit such as strawberry and kiwi. Packaging is a major part of the appeal.

Grilled Pork Meatball at Banh Shop
Casual Asian concept with locations in Las Colinas and Fort Worth is doing a stealth banh mi with this sandwich, featuring two "meatballs" (they're elongated so they're not balls, exactly) made from a flavorful minced pork mixture with Vietnamese caramel glaze and scallions, served atop shaved cucumber, pickled carrot & daikon, with cucumber-cilantro aioli, for $11.50. It's a banh mi by any other name.

Happy Hippie from Mendocino Farms
Casual chain from California has one of the best vegetarian sandwiches: the happy hippie, which is basically a salad in sandwich form: avocado, cucumber, sprouts, carrots, hummus, cheddar, and pretty magenta-tinted "beet caviar" on wheat bread (of course!) for $14.

Italian at New York Sub
SMU-adjacent shop has a history stretching back to 1974. You can’t go wrong with their Italian, with imported meats and provolone cheese for $12. The shop gets its ingredients from local ranchers and uses a creamy oil-and-vinegar dressing to level up the flavor.

Italian Beef at Weinberger’s Deli
Italian beef sandwiches have become more popular since Chicago chain Portillo's landed in Dallas. But this indie shop in Grapevine shop has been using the same recipe for decades, making the beef in-house with oregano, thyme, red and black pepper, served on Italian bread. Get it as they recommend: "wet" (dipped in au jus), with hot giardiniera peppers, and melted cheese. Starts at $11.

Happy Hippie Sandwich from Mendocino FarmsMendocino Farms

Muffuletta from Jimmy's Food Store
No sandwich list in Dallas can exist without the muffaletta from this beloved Italian market (although is it odd that the sandwich is not actually Italian?). You know it by heart: Genoa ham, salami, provolone, olive salad spread on airy crispy bread. It's not cheap — 6-inch for $10 or 9-inch for $19 — but in this case, price does not matter.

Panini from Eatzi's
Eatzi's is justifiably famous for its sandwich counter. At lunch, people line up to get one created to order. The salami, ham, and avocado panini is particularly enticing, served on rosemary focaccia and sauced with ancho chile mayo for $14.

Power Plant from Cheba Hut
Fun stoner-themed chain used to use Empire Baking Co for their bread but do not any longer, so points off. They claim they make their own now, in choice of white, wheat, or garlic herb. They do have a fun lineup of sandwiches including this veggie with hummus, guacamole, mushrooms, and spring mix greens, and you can get it in half-size for $7 or $15 for large.

Turkey Sandwich from Goodfriend Package
The sandwich everyone raves about at this East Dallas shop is the Reuben, and it's good. (The vegetarian Reuben used to also be good, but now the mushrooms, which they used to slice paper-thin, are cut thick and it's just a sloppy mess.) Have you tried the turkey sandwich? It has smoked turkey, sriracha, and smoked cheddar on a ciabatta roll for $12. Lots of flavor, and a big sandwich, to boot.
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Teresa Gubbins contributed to this story.